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Service Offices Take the Plunge at Sport Show PDF Print E-mail
Tuesday, 23 February 2010 19:39

After occupying the dim-lit corner of a main entrance to the La Crosse Center for more than a decade, three local Service offices recently took a mid-winter plunge by relocating their display booth to the bright lights and well-trodden walkways on the main-floor of the exhibition hall during the 33rd annual La Crosse Boat, Travel, and Sports Show. Located along a serpentine path amidst more than eighty other exhibitors, no one attending the show could miss what the Fish and Wildlife Service had to offer in 2010.  As in past years, a large aquarium stocked with native fish and mussels from the Genoa National Fish Hatchery was prominently displayed to catch the attention of passers by.  While stopped here, staff from the La Crosse Fish and Wildlife Conservation Office, the Upper Mississippi National Wildlife and Fish Refuge, and members of friends groups supporting these offices engaged more than sixteen-hundred visitors in conversation during the four-day event.  Key topics of discussion this year included: local opportunities to connect children with nature and out-door activities; aquatic habitat restoration efforts in Pool 8 of the Upper Mississippi River; invasive species; and the construction of a new La Crosse district office and visitor center for the refuge on Brice’s Prairie.  Coinciding with the celebration of Valentine’s Day this year, sport show visitors were encouraged to select a Service-designed Fall in love with nature valentine to share with someone special.  The opportunity to personally exchange natural resource information with the large, diverse audience that attends this annual event makes Service participation here a valuable outreach tool for all La Crosse area offices.
 
 
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 Service staff and friends group members greeted visitors to the agency’s display booth at the annual La Crosse Boat, Travel, and Sports Show.  Photo credit: Owen Johnson.

 

 
Contest to Name Newly-Constructed Islands in Pool 8 PDF Print E-mail
Thursday, 11 February 2010 15:03

 

 
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 The La Crosse District of the Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge is asking the public’s help in naming nine newly-constructed islands in Lower Navigation Pool 8. 

These islands are located in a 3,000 acre backwater area between Brownsville, MN and Stoddard, WI and were built as part of the Pool 8 Islands, Phase III, Habitat Rehabilitation and Enhancement Project, funded through the Environmental Management Program.  

Island construction began in 2006 and is expected to continue for another 2-3 years. Future islands will be named later.All nine islands are designed to restore habitat for migratory birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish, and mammals.alt

 
Contest rules are:
 
        ·        The contest is open to              the public
 
·        Entries are due April 9, 2010.

·        Suggested island names should reflect the Brownsville, MN and Stoddard, WI  area in terms of: habitat, geology, geography, history of the river, or fish and wildlife.

·        Proper names will not be considered.

·        Each person is limited to one name submission per island (nine entries total).
 
·        Each submission needs to include a short narrative justifying why your island name should be selected.
 
·        No prizes will be awarded.  Certificates of appreciation will be given to each winner. The name of the individual(s) submitting the selected island name(s) will also be announced with their winning entries.
 

·        Judging will be conducted by representatives from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Minnesota and Wisconsin Departments of Natural Resources, and Mississippi River Wild.

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Submit entries by mail to:

 

Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge

“ Island Naming Contest”

555 Lester Ave

Onalaska, WI  54650

 

            E-mail: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

            Fax: 608-783-8452

 

For more information, visit http://www.fws.gov/midwest/UpperMississippiRiver/ or contact the La Crosse District Office at 608/783-8405, or stop-in the office at 555 Lester Avenue, Onalaska, WI. Office hours are 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday.      

 


 
Pelicans eating Asian Carp PDF Print E-mail
Friday, 05 February 2010 19:17
                                                                                   

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titleI spent all weekend at Dresser Island Conservation Area photographing waterfowl along the Mississippi River. While I was there I made some interesting images of white pelicans foraging on huge, silver carp. It was fascinating to watch as sometimes it took several minutes for the pelican to get the fish down. Also, when a pelican caught a fish the others converged on it to fight for the bounty. As a matter of fact, when a common merganser caught a shad the pelicans would converge on the little guy and try to take its morsel away as well.
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Danny Brown
Fisheries Management Biologist
Missouri Department of Conservation
 
Record Breaking Year for La Crosse Fish Health Center PDF Print E-mail
Wednesday, 27 January 2010 16:31
 
altThe fiscal year of 2009 was a busy one for the La Crosse Fish Health Center (LFHC). They had a record setting year for case history numbers (258). A case history number represents a specific fish, group of fish, tissue   samples, or a biological sample (virus, bacteria, or parasite) from a specific source such as a specific water body, or hatchery. Each case history number could represent anywhere from one to 500 fish. The LFHC receives samples from a multitude of sources. The first source are the National Fish Hatcheries in Region 3 These hatcheries are the LFHC most important responsibility. The center conducts health inspections at these hatcheries twice a year. These inspections ensure hatchery fish are free of fish pathogens. Fish health responsibilities for the LFHC also include diagnostics, screening of spawning material, testing new brood stock, and technical support. The hatcheries in Region 3 include: Genoa National Fish Hatchery (NFH), Iron River NFH, Pendills Creek NFH, Sullivans Creek NFH, Jordan River NFH, and Neosho NFH. Samples from inspections, spawning material, and diagnostics were taken from more than 6000 fish. The LFHC also works closely with many states and their propagation facilities. Many states have limited laboratory space for the analysis of fish health samples. The center is contracted to give laboratory services of varying degrees to Ohio, Wisconsin, and Illinois. These states obtain the samples and overnight them to La Crosse. The LFHC lab processed samples from almost 3700 fish originating from state propagation facilities. Many tribal hatcheries also depend on laboratory services from LFHC. These hatcheries receive an annual hatchery inspection, screening of spawning material, diagnostic support, parasite identification, and technical support from the LFHC. The participating tribal hatcheries include Keweenaw Bay Indian Fish Hatchery, Grand Portage Native Fish Hatchery, Red Cliff Tribal Fish Hatchery, and Lac Du Flambeau Fish Hatchery. Over 1000 samples were processed by the LFHC from the mentioned tribal fish hatcheries. The last large sample source are fish from the National Wild Fish Health Survey. The survey started in 1996 to gain a better understanding of what specific pathogens were present in the wild, their distribution, and which species are affected by these pathogens. The survey depends largely on partner participation and this year was no exception. LCFHC received assistance with fish collection, fish transport, sample collection, and sample transport from 10 federal, six state, six tribal, and several academic organizations. Samples screened by the LFHC totaled nearly 9300 from the Wild Fish Health Survey. --Corey Puzach, Becky Lasee, Abby Purdy

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Above: Corey Puzach (top) and Lucas Purnell take fish health

samples from sturgeon at Genoa National Fish Hatchery. USFWS

photo by S. Bauer.

Left: Rebekah McCann (standing) and

Emma Waffenshmidt (sitting) taking fish health

sample during the Wild Fish Health Survey

of Pool 4 from the Mississippi River. USFWS

photo by S. Bauer.

 

 
Photo Of A Bald Eagle Taking A Green-winged Teal At Brigantine PDF Print E-mail
Monday, 25 January 2010 14:21
 

altMike DeBonis'

Mike DeBonis took this great picture of a Bald Eagle capturing a hapless Green-winged Teal at Brigantine. Here are his comments about the event:
 

"  On Saturday, November 28th, 2009, I went to photograph the Ivory Gull at Cape May. After having my fill of taking pictures of this very cooperative visitor, I decided to stop at E.B. Forsythe NWR (Brigantine) on my way home. I was at the end of my first go around when I saw a Bald Eagle in the water. My first thought was that it had caught a very large fish and could not lift it from the water. Well to my surprise, the Bald Eagle had taken a Green-winged Teal. Please enjoy the photo"

Mike DeBonis
 

 
 
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